By Aqeel Yousafzai
There was a time when what is now the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were referred to by people from other parts of the province and country as “the Unruly Land” (“Alaqa Ghair”). This was because formal laws did not apply in these tribal areas, and fugitives from settled regions would often escape there to evade authorities. When necessary, they would return to their home areas to carry out various “activities,” only to retreat again with the help of locals who shared similar inclinations. A similar trend emerged during the Afghan Jihad and later after 9/11 when jihadist and terrorist groups took advantage of FATA’s unique status. They not only established themselves here but also used this “Unruly Land” as a base camp, exploiting the weaknesses of the state and the policies of that time.
However, no one could have imagined that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the modern era, and its capital, Peshawar, would once again turn into an “Unruly Land” under the administration of a contemporary political party. This time, the government has used state resources and machinery of a conflict-ridden province to target the state itself and its political opponents.
Currently, two major and alarming activities, or “events,” are unfolding in full force across the province. First, in the past few days alone, nearly 11 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have witnessed incidents of terrorism and counterterrorism. These clashes have resulted in approximately 25 casualties on both sides. Besides the operations by security forces, there have been attacks on police personnel and significant political figures. The situation escalated to such an extent that a former MPA accused a sitting member of the provincial assembly of targeting him out of personal and political enmity by allegedly coercing one of his drivers into becoming a suicide bomber. The driver, however, fell victim to his explosives in Charsadda before reaching his target. In another incident, a senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami was martyred.
The second “event” revolves around the PTI’s planned “march” on Islamabad on November 24, a mobilization being organized with official protocol and preparations. Under the special directives of Aleema Khan and Bushra Bibi, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has hosted hundreds of PTI assembly members, ticket holders, and office-bearers from Punjab in Peshawar, with instructions for more to arrive. The goal is to use Peshawar as a secure stronghold from which to launch their assault on Islamabad, mobilizing the resources and protocol of a war-torn province to do so. For the “honored guests,” accommodations have been arranged not only in the Chief Minister’s House but also in nearly a dozen government buildings and rest houses across Peshawar and two nearby towns. This unprecedented move marks the first time in national history that a provincial capital is being used, with official resources and protocol, as a military-like stronghold and base against the federal capital and another province.
Reports indicate that nearly 80 senior PTI officials and assembly members from other provinces are currently enjoying official hospitality in Peshawar, with more expected to arrive. In essence, for these “revolutionaries,” today’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become a version of “the Unruly Land” akin to the past—just as it once served as a haven for fugitives.